This invention relates in general to battery charging systems, such as are used to connect a battery of an electric vehicle to an exterior electric power source. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for such a battery charging system, wherein the structure includes an adapter for charging the electrical vehicle from a conventional 110-volt outlet.
Electric vehicles are typically provided with one or more rechargeable batteries. In some vehicles, the rechargeable batteries may be charged by plugging in to an external power source, such as a conventional electrical outlet. Such charging of the vehicle batteries may occur frequently, and plugging in a vehicle to charge once a day is not unusual. Each time the vehicle battery is charged, a charging cord of a battery charging system provided on the vehicle is connected to an electrical outlet assembly, then is subsequently removed therefrom in order to stop charging or to operate the vehicle. As a result, the physical acts of both plugging in the charging cord to the electrical outlet and subsequently removing same can occur frequently. Therefore, the charging cord of the conventional battery charging system is subjected to undesirable mechanical fatigue and potential failure. Failure in the charging cord can make it difficult or impossible to recharge the rechargeable batteries without first repairing the charging cord. It would be desirable to provide an improved structure for such a battery charging system that avoids this potential problem.